Tunnels
by royslady51
Summary: She can't get past that section of Universal Wall. She can't stay in the foreign universe as a resident, either...it's killing her. She isn't looking for the Doctor, Rose Tyler thinks that she is only trying to find a place where she can fit. But sometimes, the best things come into our lives when we're not looking.


SUMMARY: She can't get past that section of Universal Wall. She can't stay in the foreign universe as a resident, either...it's killing her. She isn't looking for the Doctor, so far as she knows there is only one universe that could hold him and she can't get home. Rose Tyler _thinks _that she is only exploring and trying to find a place where she can fit. But sometimes, the best things come into our lives when we're not looking.

**Tunnels Through Creation**

She hated _Pathing_. It was painful and took all the energy she had, which these days wasn't all that much. In fact, she'd been camped in this tiny cave for almost three years waiting as she gathered enough strength to Cross the Path. That's what passing from one universe to another felt like to Rose, only watching for traffic wasn't an issue. The Energy from this Earth was strong, though there were not yet humans on it. There were a few species that reminded her of Homo Erectius, but that was all. The local predators around here were pretty smart, it was understood within a day or so that she was more dangerous than they were because she could not only kill, but do so at a distance...long before they got near her.

They kept their distance once it became clear she didn't have to actually see him...her instruments gave her accurate warnings and she sprang traps around would-be hunters.

As she packed up once more, for her last night in this universe something made her stop, pause, her head came up and every muscle tensed for a reason that had once been familiar, treasured even, but which she no longer understood. Something sang through the air, oh, it wasn't anything most people would call music or singing, it was a grating, grinding, laborious sound, but to Rose it was the finest symphony created...and it was inside the cave-mouth, in the larger hall that lay in front of the smaller cave she used for sleeping. The scrapped together, if sturdy barrier over the small cave-mouth was closed for the night and as she moved into the front room of the two room cave to get the fat candles lit and put meat on the fire, start some dinner...a blue police box was forming a few feet away. She caught her breath.

"_Sister_." She breathed. "_Doctor_."

He opened the door and looked at the woman whose face was filled with wonder, welcome and a great deal of emotion. Many, in fact, They followed each other over her face like the cars of an Earth train...such long things, trains. Some of the ones in America could go on for five miles in length, sometimes. Literally.

"Normally, about now I'd introduce myself and tell you that I'm The Doctor. However, from the expression on your face, I think...that you already know that. What I'd like to know is..._how?"_

She closed her eyes as his voice sank into her soul where it should be, rocking forward onto all fours and stayed there...shivering. She was perfectly safe, even if one of the predators came through the barrier, he would let her take no harm. She was free...she could be weak in front of this being and that is something she had not had the freedom to do in four centuries.

**:WHO:WHO:WHO:**

He frowned, feeling her shed Strength...a particular kind that was only used by those that used the Paths Between. It was needed to Cross and Crossings were only possible by Seekers. Once a Seeker found what they were looking for, the weird Strength fell away on it's own...unused. She would not have shed it as soon as he spoke unless _he _were the Sought. Nothing harmful could Seek. No one of ill-intent could Pass. Indeed, only someone who needed something to complete them on a soul deep level could Seek or Cross...and he was the Found of a Seeker.

This meant that this young woman needed him like she did her own blood. He approached, drew her to her side and then her rump and steadied her.

"Doctor."

"Yes."

"Ten."

"_Yes_."

She turned her face into his pinstripes, played with the laces on his converses and let the tears come. Ordinary strength was draining away as well and it disappeared even faster when he got an arm around her. With what little remained, she dug into the neck of her hoodie and pulled out a chain. On it was a small yale key, warm and glowing gold.

"Four hundred and two centuries ago, there was an accident in my home universe that resulted in my being trapped in the wrong universe and in which I had no time line. _My _Tenth was the last, the very, very _last _Time Lord in our universe...there was a war, with DALEKS, the Time Lords...lost." She whispered the words, finally raising her head to look at the compassionate brown eyes of this Tenth Doctor. "He couldn't..."

"He could not reach you. Could not bring you back, get you home."

"Earth had stopped being my home about...eighteen months or so before that incident. My you, he was my home. Nothing else mattered." She swallowed hard. "But you don't show up in caves without a good reason, so...what did I do wrong? Let's get that out of the way, 'kay?"

"The Mucakta wanted me to examine the latest goddess on their lands." His eyes twinkled at her. "It seems that humiliating their best warriors with defeat wasn't bad enough, she had to trap in cages, like fish, the next lot that _dared _to annoy her."

"Yeah, well, I didn't _hurt_ them. They never got close enough that I needed to...made sure of that."

"That's what they're complaining about. They want me to take you off with me and let the old gods which love to fight have this planet back."

"Yeah, see that's the thing...I'd love it if you took me off...and those old ones can have it. I can't Cross now, anyway."

"Very true. I felt the Strength dumping as soon as I'd spoken." He admitted. "So...who are you?"

"Rose Marion Tyler. Once of Earth, 21st Century, London and in a universe..._hell_. I couldn't even begin to give directions that thing. Too much distance...five hundred Crossings and all of on _linear _time." She sighed, leaning the back of her head against his shoulder. "I'm not supposed to have a brain that can think in those terms. Should've never had to develop _that _much hindbrain. Wasn't _designed _for it." She muttered. "Still gives me headaches, mind, but I have to do it anyway."

"Well, at least when I say something, you'll understand what I'm talking about."

"As long as _I _don't have to do the computations anymore..."

"Yes well, about _that_. I think I'd prefer it if I did that, too."

"Feels so good to be with you. So relaxed right now I could just about nod off on you."

"Literally, I think. Let's get you to a bed, shall we?" He got to his feet and didn't ask first, he just picked her up and carried her into the TARDIS. She lay her head on his shoulder, tucked one arm between them and let the other cup his neck, her thumb stroking his jaw.

She did have him pause by the console, running her hands over it, greeting his TARDIS and left her mind open to the great ship, to her sister's variant, trusting her.

The Doctor drew in a sharp breath as this odd human Traveler connected with his TARDIS, spoke with her, not to her or at her and opened her mind to the ship fully. There was an unlocked door on the side of her mind that simply said 'Doctor'.

"Not yet, let's get you settled and then I'll pack that cave up."

"_Careful_. Got several hundred packs nanogene based _anti-Dalek _devices intended to take out up to five thousand at a go and a few other items meant for dealing with Cybermen at the regimental size." She warned. "That was mostly the reason I didn't want the local hunters near the cave. _Far _too dangerous for them."

"True. _Those _would be. I'll have a care." He didn't miss the way she rubbed her face against his suit jacket as he laid her on the infirmary cot and got her comfortable. "I'll check you out as soon as I get that stuff packed up. What do you have?"

"All the dangerous stuff is in a colored Mauve pack I got long, long ago...from the TARDIS of my youth. Everything else can go in the red pack except clothes and those go in the blue one. Both are bigger on the inside. Sexy took really good care of me. I miss her too."

"She's right here."

"Have her explain how human emotions work sometime. Particularly with a female. It varies a bit between adult and not, but not much. It think maybe this you missed that lesson. You sound like _Third_, cuz, Second knew better and so did Fourth."

"Ouch. Okay. I'll ask _her_." He covered Rose and headed back out into the cave...and if his inquiry was sarcastic, his ship's answer was detailed and spoken as to a mentally deficient human child of three...she told him exactly what this human had done and why she was as bound to herself as he was. She gave him Rose's Nine's Memories as well as Rose's Ten's, and the meta-crisis'...and then she gave him all of Rose's for the past four hundred centuries. She wasn't overly cruel, she didn't overwhelm him with it...but she fed into this Doctor which still had a healthy homeworld the mental history of a self who had no people..._and why that was._

For a few moments, he found it difficult to separate himself from the Doctor Rose had known and the other didn't leave him entirely, nor would he ever...not now. Not now that he understood her bone deep...and loved her. So, _so _much.

Because all Doctors _were _pretty much interchangeable with any other, particularly those of the same regeneration. She had enough firepower to wipe Daleks from creation, in this universe. There was enough devices to kill _billions _of them if need be. She wanted him _safe_, he understood now.

**:WHO: * ~ TBC ~ * :WHO:**


End file.
